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Head Smacking Realities: Why Blogging Isn’t Doing a Thing for Your Business

May 22, 2014 by Rosemary 4 Comments

By Tracy Vides

“Have a blog and you’ll start getting inbound leads.

“Blogging helps you gain traction and develop a community.

Companies that have blogs make more sales than those that don’’t have one.

If you did hear one (or all) of those statements but are often wondering why nothing seems to be happening, you aren’t alone. There are millions of blogs that do nothing but exist.

Corporate or business blogging is even more difficult as it’’s like asking businesses to set aside resources to make it happen (compared to individual bloggers who are intrinsically motivated). Nothing happens without a reason and there are plenty of reasons why your blogging efforts aren’’t doing anything to meet your goals yet. Here are some of them:

No plans, no gains

Remember those days when everyone used to carry around business cards? You’d get yourself a set of cards too. Then, everyone and their neighbor got themselves a website and a bunch of social accounts and followed suit. Blogging, more or less, seems to have been bitten by the same bug. You blog because blogging apparently is the ““baby steps” of inbound marketing.

Starting to do something is good, and I won’’t bite you for that. Not having a plan in the sense of not knowing why you blog for your business in the first place is a sore wound.

Do you blog purely to drive sales? Or do you blog to become a thought leader? Do you blog to proliferate your brand name or do you engage in all-out blogging efforts? (Hope you end up getting inspired by How Jon Morrow Writes, as narrated by Demian Farnworth of Copyblogger.)

Figure out why you think you have to blog in the first place. What’’s all this trouble for? Write it down and think about it over a cup of coffee.

You pay attention to worthless stuff

Driven by the incredible amount of information available on digital marketing (most of it is farce, unjustifiable, or maybe just hype), your mind starts to nibble at things that don’’t matter at all: all the drive for ““SEO domination”” lets you believe that keywords should guide your content creation.

The truth is that keywords won’’t matter because the bots don’t buy; people do. All that time spent on social media takes your time away from creating awesome posts. Your blogs are way too short or perhaps way too long. Instead of thinking about your readers, you worry about Meta information, alt text, and backlinks.

There are many of those little gears that have to click in place to make your inbound marketing strategy work, starting with your blog.

Are you doing it right?

It’s not about words, links, or technobabble; it’’s about people.

Bloggers often forget that they are writing for people. Companies are even quicker when it comes to forgetting that blogging is an effort to promote brands, establish credibility, engage with potential and current customers.

David Silverman, author of Typo, and professor of business writing at Harvard, gives this test to his students:

Can you rewrite this bunch of babble into a word or two?

“It is the opinion of the group assembled for the purpose of determining a probability of the likelihood of the meteorological-related results and outcome for the period encompassing the next working day that the odds of precipitation in the near-term are positive and reasonably expected.

Businesses just worry about tools used, platforms that blogs should be based on, and the kind of voice, words, or personality that they expect blog posts to express. Of course, all this counts; individuality does matter, and these are what make blogs different from academic articles. Yet, you shouldn’’t forget that you are writing for people. Relationships still matter. You’ll need to get off the screen and meet actual people. You should be able to sell at a flea market before you can sell online.

Self-centered content strategy

First, your content strategy is self-centered. All that you blog about is how great that vacation has been, how life changing your moving to paradise was, how Venture Capitalists are now trying to break down the doors just so that they can invest, and how you grew your blog from 0 to 67,987 subscribers in 3 months.

What are some of the best examples of narcissistic and self-centered blogs, you ask? Go pick any of those nomadic vagabonds who try to sell you location independence and travel while working. It’s not to say that there’’s no value from such blogs. But more often than not, there’’s the ““me syndrome” creeping in with ““Where I Was Last Week”” and ““Exotic Destinations I’’ve Been To.”

Stand back for a moment. No one cares about you. Your customers — you know, the ones reading your blog — wouldn’t care if you just signed up a million dollar deal, bought another company, merged with a bigger one, or if you now float on $4 billion of excess cash balance in the bank.

All that your customers care about is what you can do for them. How many of your blog posts talk about your customers really? Can you actually count the number of blog posts that share something that doesn’t have anything to do with you, your business, the brand, the products or services?

Crappy content

Your content qualifies as crappy if there’’s no value given to your readers by the end of the post. There’s nothing it for them to ruminate, chew dry bread on, or ponder about. Your blog posts have nothing new to say.

I will repeat that. Your content is dry, sounds like a term paper, and makes readers scroll faster than ever. They won’’t read most of it they’’ll just scroll through and escape. And you’’ll never see them again!

Stop wasting time with blogs that don’’t make an impact. Stop hiding behind words. Show up with some guts and talk to your customers like they were your best friends. Be afraid to own up, accept your mistakes, speak your heart, and get bolder.

Great companies go to the extent of admitting their faux pas. Online marketing firm SEER Interactive admitted screwing up in their link building methods. AirBnB’’s Brian Chesky wrote up a self-deprecating post to own up the apparent horror that a customer had to face.

Doing this takes guts. Can you do it too?

Blogging needs you to post awesomeness regularly. It requires you to show up and be real. It demands that you use the fact that you are human to get other humans to buy from you, believe you, or accept your point of view. It requires you to multi-task. Blogging requires your belief to be brought to fruition by your determination and will.

As long as you produce blog posts because you should, your customers or readers will make it a point to leave because they can.

Author’s Bio: Tracy Vides is a content creator and marketer, who loves to blog about subjects as diverse as fashion, technology, and finance. She’s always raring to have a discussion on startups and entrepreneurship. Say “Hi” to her on Twitter @TracyVides. You can also find her on G+ at gplus.to/TracyVides.

Filed Under: Blog Basics, Successful Blog, Writing Tagged With: bc, blogging, inbound marketing, Writing

Scaling Content Delivery to Fit Your Bandwidth

May 20, 2014 by Rosemary Leave a Comment

By Lisa D. Jenkins

I wasn’t here last week. I know I promised more about visual content but something else has been wandering through my brain, and it’s taken me a bit by surprise. Because the connection is so weird.

Two months ago, I agreed to give CrossFit a 3 month try because The Husband, who loves CrossFit, has graciously embraced so many things I love – live Shakespeare, my quirky clothing choices, BBC television, wine, the crazy things I do to support the causes I believe in … he’s quite the sport.

Crossfit training

So on April 1, off to Arbor CrossFit I went with the goal of participating twice a week. In 2 months, I’ve been a total 4 times and here’s why: I refused to scale the workouts and I paid for it in over-exertion and injuries that equated to lost time. It’s entirely my fault.

I’m still not certain the workouts are for me, but I’ll tell you this: the culture at Arbor CrossFit has me committed to doing a full 3 months. Every person in that box is supportive, inclusive and helpful. They help everyone scale, because they want everyone to succeed. If your ego just won’t listen they’ll let you fail on your own terms but step up right beside you the second you need a helping hand to get back on track.

It occurred to me that I recognized something in this – and there was Liz Strauss whispering to my brain, “Surround yourself with people who won’t let you fail.”

If you’re in business, you can’t afford not to have a group of people like this. They can’t, won’t and shouldn’t do the work for you, but they can help you form an achievable plan and make the right choices. They’ll tell you when the load might be too big. They’ll help you figure out how to scale until you can carry that load. They’ll nudge you when you need to step into something bigger. I have that and it’s invaluable.

If you’re like me, the thought of blogging is rough. And when you read that ‘everyone’ says you should be writing on your blog every day, you get worried. Worried to the point that you never write a word, even if you have something valuable to say, because the thought of failing to publish regularly is paralyzing.

‘Everyone’ is wrong. In case you don’t have someone in your corner yet, I’m taking today to invite you to join me in scaling the weight of content delivery to something that’s manageable for you, so you can get started or re-start.

Try this: write a single post. How long did that take you, from start to finish? I mean to the point where it’s fully polished, proofed and publishable – because grammar and punctuation matter just as much as the image you include. Think about how often you can take that much time to write. Is it once a day? Bully for you! Is it once a week? Also amazing. If it’s twice a month, I’m right here cheering you loud and proud because that’s what you can commit to. Don’t take on a commitment you can’t fill. Publish a few articles consistently and over time you’ll know when you’re ready to bump up the blog delivery.

And if actual writing isn’t your thing? Find another way to tell others about what you do. Share how-to’s on SlideShare, replace long text reports with infographics that share key data findings, and if talking is easier for you, record podcasts instead of publishing articles. Communication isn’t a cookie-cutter proposition – modify the tools you’re comfortable with to deliver your message. (This by the way is a helpful bit of advice I received from my own core group – #Table2!)

I can’t tell you how I got from CrossFit to content – my brain is a weird and mostly wonderful place like that. But I can tell you this: I didn’t name my own sadly neglected blog the Occasional and Erratic Blog for nothing. I’m afraid to commit to writing. Publishing here twice a month is a serious stretch for me.

Now it’s your turn. Will scaling help you publish something online more often? Ready to commit? Tell me what you’re aiming for and every time you hit publish, come back here and share the link. I’ll check it out and give you a virtual high-five, a clap of the hands or anything reasonable you request. Let’s do this!

Author’s Bio: Lisa D. Jenkins is a Public Relations professional specializing in Social and Digital Communications for businesses. She has over a decade of experience and work most often with destination organizations or businesses in the travel and tourism industry in the Pacific Northwest. Connect with her on Google+

Photo Credit: Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson via Compfight cc

Filed Under: Content, Successful Blog, Writing Tagged With: bc, Content, Writing

Good People, Good Ideas

May 16, 2014 by Rosemary Leave a Comment

“Good people, good ideas.”

That’s how Liz summed up the community here at Successful Blog the last time we chatted.

sky with clouds and bubbles

It rings true for me.

Every time I encounter someone who has attended a SOBCon event, is part of this blog community, or resonates with Liz’s message, I am impressed by their intelligence, their generosity, and their spirit of curiosity.

Those traits make you excellent sharers.

With that in mind, we are actively seeking community members who would like to apply to be a weekly columnist on the site.

Successful Blog is a community for people who are serious about building a business and want practical, usable advice to get things done.

We’re for the “doers,” not the readers.

Columnist Requirements

  • Ability to produce one original, exclusive, well written article per week.
  • Long-term commitment (at least 6 months, preferably one year).
  • A passion for, and expertise in, your subject area.

Applicants will go through an interview process.

Benefits To You

  • Grow your online visibility with a huge audience.
  • Hone your writing voice and exercise your writing muscles.
  • Share your expertise.
  • Make lifelong connections with the Successful Blog community.

If you would like to be considered, please email Rosemary O’Neill (rosemary.oneill@gmail.com) and include the following:

  • Links to published writing examples (or your blog if you have one)
  • Social media profile links
  • Desired topic/category (major categories we cover include Content, Design, Leadership, Marketing, and Personal Development – check out our subcategories here in the sidebar)
  • 5 article ideas within that category

We look forward to adding your voice to Successful Blog!

Photo Credit: Nina Matthews Photography via Compfight cc

Filed Under: Successful Blog, Writing Tagged With: bc, blogging, Writing

Three Blogging Tricks That Will Save Your Sanity

May 8, 2014 by Rosemary 2 Comments

Bloggers are always “on deadline.”

No matter what the posting schedule is like (daily, weekly, monthly), there is always another deadline looming. It can feel like one of those hamster wheels where you can’t get off.

With several years of blogging under my belt, I have accumulated some tricks that keep me from losing my mind.

Keep These Blogging Tricks Up Your Sleeve

Rainy Day Posts

The next time you’re feeling especially productive and the words are flowing easily, sock away an extra post that can be “evergreen.” Even better if you have 2-3 extras. Put them in a special folder or Evernote notebook. Break glass in case of emergency.

rainy day blog posts

Writing “Stubs”

Many bloggers keep a running list of topic ideas, which is very useful. However, I like to take it a step further and flesh out the ideas as I have time. Whenever you have a spare moment, add to your “stubs,” without paying too much attention to grammar, structure, etc. Just jot down the bones of the post in a free-flowing way.

If you get bored with one of the “stubs,” move on to another one that’s more inspiring in that moment. No pressure to complete it, add URLs, etc., just get the ideas out of your brain and into the “stub” bucket.

Over time, you’ll have a fertile ground for picking up “stub” posts and completing them when you’re not feeling able to punch out an entire post from scratch. No more blank page staring at you.

Set up a Series

Establishing a series on your blog is one of the best ways to “have an ace in the hole.” If you establish a certain day of the week that is focused on a specific subject, then you aren’t grappling with that aspect of writing.

This also helps your guest bloggers. It’s much easier to find someone to write on a specific topic than to just say “write anything.”

The best part of running a series is that your audience will return to see the next post in the series too. It’s a great way to build audience attention over time, once they become invested in the subject.

What do you do to keep from losing your blogging mind?

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Photo Credit: h.koppdelaney via Compfight cc

Filed Under: Blog Basics, Content, Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, blogging, ideas, Writing

Tools For Writers: Save Time, Work Better

April 1, 2014 by Rosemary 3 Comments

By Angela England

I have a ton of projects at any given time. In fact, as I was just offered the position of Organic Gardening Guide for About.com I will be busier than ever! I wouldn’t survive all of that with five homeschooling kids, if I didn’t have some great tools under my belt to make it easier.

Tools for writers

Here are some of my favorites.

Steno Pads and Pencils

This seems so…so…eighteenth century, I know. But I carry half-sized steno pads with me everywhere for those times when I need to scribble something in analog. Don’t think that high-tech is the ONLY way to go. When it comes to brainstorming and outlining it is often faster for people to “think out loud” on paper and then translate that to digital once you’ve had that initial brain dump. I buy steno pads in bulk at Sam’s Club so I can easily scrawl in them whenever I want and they fit easily in the side pocket of the car, in the diaper bag, in my purse or laptop case, glove box, etc.

Poster Board or Big White Board

Large brainstorming sessions need bigger amounts of space. I have a technique I will use periodically to brainstorm about a hundred blog post ideas in less than an hour. I taught a workshop about it and you can watch the video here: Brainstorming Blog Post Ideas With Ease

The key is to write quickly and not be worried about how it looks or whether it makes sense. Or is spelled correctly. Get all the ideas out of your head and THEN focus on working them into a logical semblance of order.

Evernote

Speaking of working things into a logical semblance of order – Evernote is one of my favorite tools for capturing ideas on the go. I can clip a website, photo, screenshot, email, type a quick idea, etc from any connected device. My Evernote accounts link my phone, iPad, computer, laptop, etc., so I can easily grab that inspiring phrase from Facebook and plug it into Evernote to explore later. I can also gather research notes and materials and place them into “notebooks” according to website or book project to help me find it easily later. Evernote’s robust tagging and search functions make it one of the best online filing systems I’ve ever used. For more tips on using Evernote, I love this post by Alli Worthington – 10 Way to Use Evernote Like a Pro.

Scrivener

Whether I’m writing non-fiction or fiction, Scrivener is my favorite place to write now. And not only books, but other long-form projects like courses, blog series, feature articles for magazines, and more. The features Scrivener offers writers make it the perfect tool for any professional writer. Call it a cross between Word, Evernote, and your favorite Moleskine. It’s the best online writing tool I’ve come across yet and highly recommend it for anyone who writes anything bigger than 500 words in length.

Dropbox

Writers often have to send large chunks of material. Whether you’re sharing a project with a reviewer, sending your book to an editor, or working collaboratively with several people on a project, Dropbox is a great solution for storing and sharing large files. I especially love the ability to access Dropbox files while NOT connected to the internet (on the road with my laptop, for example) and update files (i.e., write more on my book or course or blog post series) and then have Dropbox automatically sync those changes with my main Dropbox account as soon as I’m connected again. I can store a file in Dropbox and access from any of my other connected devices (including mobile) and from public computers by logging in temporarily at dropbox.com. Keep folders private or share as desired for easy-to-control privacy levels.

These are the main tools I use on a near-daily basis when it comes to writing. Some are free, some are paid, some are high-tech, some are as old as time. All impact the work that I do in profound ways. What are your favorite tools as writers?

Author’s Bio: Angela England is a mother of five living in rural Oklahoma but more, she’s also a problogger, speaker, and author of several books including Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less) and Getting Prepared. Her most recent projects are helping people transform their blogs and business by publishing amazing books and producing multiple books this year under the Untrained Housewife brand.

Filed Under: Content, Successful Blog, Writing Tagged With: bc, tools, Writing

The Hotel, the Airline, and the Restaurant are all Publishers. Are You?

March 20, 2014 by Rosemary Leave a Comment

At SOBCon Portland last year, I had the honor of interviewing Chris Erickson from the Heathman Hotel for one of our sessions. His hotel was in the news at the time because it had been used as the setting for the Fifty Shades of Grey books.

Rosemary ONeill Chris Erickson interview SOBCon Portland

However, as we all discovered, the hotel already had a well-deserved reputation for being forward-thinking long before E.L. James decided to give them a different type of fame.

One thing Chris said during our interview was, “I consider myself a publisher.”

There was definitely a moment of silence in the room as we all took that in. Imagining how far content marketing, social media, and digital outreach have come. A hotelier says he’s a publisher.

Chris explained that he considers it part of his job to produce content (in many different forms) that will support the Heathman’s reputation and business strategy.

But doesn’t it all go back a lot farther? The airlines have had in-flight magazines for quite a while now.

Chipotle is spending millions on well-executed mini-movies to sell carnitas burritos.

Is it time for every business owner and entrepreneur to think of themselves as a publisher? And how does this mindset shift your process, your work product?

According to Google, a publisher is “a person or company that prepares and issues books, journals, music, or other works for sale.”

Characteristics of Being a Publisher

  • By definition, a publisher is not an amateur. He/she is presenting items for sale, not as a hobby.
  • A publisher both “prepares” and “issues” the materials offered. He/she takes care that the items are error-free and ready to be issued to the world. By issuing, the publisher stands behind what he/she has prepared.
  • Publishers take a risk when they present materials for sale. They invest in the content, not knowing for certain what the reward will be.
  • Publishers must know their market. Is there room for this work? Is it the right time? Is this work creative and different enough to inspire others?
  • A publisher makes hard decisions.

Do you consider yourself a publisher? Why or why not?

Don’t miss out on SOBCon Leverage 2014 yet? You’ll definitely want to be in the room.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Filed Under: Content, Marketing Tagged With: bc, content marketing, publishing, Writing

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